Bad Faith Bargaining: Administration drags feet on implementing new contract

Posted on December 6, 2016 by AFT 2121

While the Chancellor and the District continue to work diligently to implement cuts to our programs they can’t seem to meet basic labor relations requirements displaying a lack of respect for faculty and Union rights.

Five months after reaching tentative agreement on a new contract with AFT, the District has failed to follow through on numerous commitments involving the new contract and enforcement (grievances). Here are some examples of the District’s bad faith bargaining:

1. No written, published contract or salary schedules.

2. No negotiations over the 2015/16 “lookback, ” which is supposed to include looking at budget surpluses from last year and possible improvements in compensation. AFT has requested but has not received detailed budget information underlying the District’s October, 2016 Annual Financial and Budget Report to the State (CCFS-311).

3. Lack of transparency in faculty pay: faculty cannot decipher their pay stubs, which contain erroneous information, while FLAC information about pay and assignments is often obtuse or incomplete.

4. Lack of transparency in sick leave accrual and usage because of delays in updating, errors, and confusing reports.

5. No notice to new faculty about new salary placement provisions in effect for Fall 2016 that could impact pay.

6. Failure to notify full-time faculty of new procedures for drug copay reimbursements.

7. Failure to provide information to the Union about changes in workload impacting pay and workload, e.g. in Auto and Aeronautics.

8. Errors in retro pay necessitating a redo of calculations, leading to more corrections, and confusing codes on the September through November paychecks.

9. Delay in communicating with AFT and faculty about the retirement incentive for full-time faculty resulting in a very short timeline for application (Feb. 2, 2016).

10. No follow-up on negotiations over merging categorical and regular sick leave and reemployment rights for categorical employees.

11. Delays or failures to respond to grievances filed by the Union on behalf of faculty, delays in implementing resolutions where reached, etc.

12. Unilaterally transferring financial aid counseling work to non-AFT bargaining unit staff.